Do I have to pay if the research does not produce an answer?
Yes. Fees are based on the time spent conducting the research and preparing a written report, regardless of whether the research produces answers to your research questions.
Genealogical research does not always lead to the desired results. This most often happens in one of these three situations:
The agreed time for the project was insufficient to cover research of all the relevant sources. If the research is not reasonably exhaustive, no conclusion can be drawn. In such cases, the research report will typically include recommendations for further research. It will then be up to you to decide whether you want to continue the research yourself or get help from Genealogist Lene Dræby Kottal or someone else to do it.
The research shows that the sought-after information does not exist in any known source. Sometimes all the sources that might answer a research question are lost and leaves the question unanswered. Other times, relevant sources still exist, but the research shows that the sources do not reveal the requested information. The research report will include information about the sources that were examined, what was found or not found, and how the findings relate to your research question.
The relevant records are inaccessible. Access to some sources is restricted due to the Danish and European privacy laws. If some sources were found to be inaccessible due to access restrictions, the report will explain the restrictions and whether access might be possible through other methods, for instance via an application from the client to the archives.
The research report ensures that the research is still valuable even if one or more of your research questions could not be answered. The documentation in the report helps prevent duplication of effort, provides a solid foundation for any future research, and clarifies what can and cannot be known based on the surviving records.
Before entering into a contract about a research project, Genealogist Lene Dræby Kottal offers a free preliminary survey of the information you provide. This allows her to assess whether your research questions are likely to be answerable and whether the relevant records are accessible or not. For example, if the sought-after information is known to be restricted under Danish archival access rules, she will inform you in advance if she is unable to assist you.
No preliminary survey can eliminate the risk of non-discovery entirely, because we do not know in advance what the records say. However, the preliminary survey minimizes the risk of non-discovery.
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